The new Business Façade Improvement Program will help relieve some of the financial pressure that businesses face when making improvements to their shopfronts.
Applicants can apply for a one-off matching grant of up to $5,000 to be used to improve the visual appeal of their business façade including improving disability access. There are five grants in all, up to a total of $25,000.
What is the Business Façade Improvement Program?
Inner West Council knows how important it is for our high streets and villages to be welcoming and appealing. Council introduced our Main Street Revitalisation program to enhance the look and feel of the main streets to make them more inviting for residents and visitors. This contributes to the economy by creating a welcoming place for people to come, shop and play. To build on this work, Council is offering funding for local businesses that want to improve the appearance of their street-level shopfront.
The Business Façade Improvement Program seeks to:
- Support local businesses by providing additional resources to enhance shopfronts.
- Stimulate local economic activity by attracting more visitors and customers to local businesses by enhancing the visual appeal of shopping areas.
- Promote community engagement and activation by encouraging community pride and showcasing creative shopfront design that reflects the character of the local area.
- Enhance public spaces by creating a more vibrant and welcoming streetscape and improving the visual appeal and attractiveness of shopfronts in prominent locations.
Applicants can apply for a one-off matching grant of up to $5,000 (inclusive of GST) for eligible projects. This means businesses must also contribute $5,000 to undertake works to their shopfront. Funding for approved projects is paid directly to the applicant upon completion of façade works and verification that the business has expended the agreed amount for the works.
Who can apply?
Eligibility is restricted to businesses within the Inner West local government area that are situated in a prominent main-street shopping centre. Businesses must have a long-term lease in place and be able to provide matching funding.
What types of projects can be funded?
Examples of projects that may be funded are:
- Engaging local creatives – such as muralists, artists or designers – to update or enhance the shopfront façade.
- Installing window decals designed by local artists to improve visual appeal.
- Repairing awnings or improving lighting to increase pedestrian and shopfront safety.
- Delivering street‑level façade improvements e.g. external painting, reinstating heritage features, minor window repairs, and new signage.
- Façade enhancements that are sensitive to the existing character of the main street.
The program will focus on areas where investment will have the greatest impact - specifically shopfronts with deteriorated façades that detract from key business centres.
What types of projects will not be funded?
Council will not fund the following:
- Works already commenced or completed at the time of application.
- Works that require consent under a Development Application and where that consent has not yet been approved by Council or other Consent Authority.
- Routine maintenance or interior work (e.g. carpet cleaning, cleaning of gutters, cleaning of facades).
- Any work that would not improve the appearance, detail, fabric or finish of the premises.
- Any work that is not in keeping with Council’s development controls, plans or policies.
Application process
Applications must be submitted via the Inner West Council SmartyGrants webpage. Businesses must contribute matching funds to the project and provide evidence of their financial contribution. Funding will only be released once Council has verified that the works are complete and that the business has paid their agreed share.
Staff will ensure that the assessment process includes a weighting be applied to multicultural businesses and businesses owned by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business operators, proposals that include the employment of local creatives and that the program is evenly distributed across the five wards. An assessment panel will be established that includes an independent from a local business chamber.
Apply online
The grant application process opened on Monday 9 February and will close on Friday 20 March 2026.
Contact
If you have any questions about this program, please contact Simon Watts, Social and Cultural Planning Manager on 02 9392 5971 or on email simon.watts@innerwest.nsw.gov.au.